Halton Hospital nurses won't be involved in national strike

Members of The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) are taking part in the action across the UK.

A number of large hospitals in England will see strike action by RCN members – however, Halton Hospital will not be affected.

This is because the number of union members needed to take part in the strike ballot didn’t cross the legal threshold.

A spokesperson for Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation said: “At least 50% of union members need to take part in a strike ballot for it to count.

“We have been informed by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) that the number of members who voted at Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals was less than the 50 per cent  required to proceed.”

Thousands of nurses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland have begun a 12-hour strike in a bitter dispute over pay.

The strike is the biggest by nurses in the history of the NHS, involving around a quarter of hospitals and community teams in England alongside all trusts in Northern Ireland and all but one health board in Wales.

Health minister Maria Caulfield said around 70,000 appointments, procedures and surgeries will be lost in England due to the strike. Thousands more will be affected in Northern Ireland and Wales.